Exterior Lighting at Night

[RoyBraddy]

You could very easily go to the trailer cable junction box up front close to the first cross frame member under your trailer where the trailer cable connects to the trailer lights wiring. This is usually an electrical junction box with a lid coverning it.

The wires are connected using the large twist nuts so it would be easy to find the two wires for 12VDC power and the running lights and add a long 2-conductor cable back to a wall inside your trailer to an plastic wall box. There you could mount a RADIO SHACK toggle switch or maybe just a regular house light switch and turn on your lights you want on from inside the trailer. Label it running lights or something like that. Then it would be a permanent light switch for you to use from inside your trailer.

If I did this I would want the light switch near the front door so I could turn it off when in travel mode etc... Seems like a big effort just to run your outside running lights on the trailer.

It was pointed out by a post some time ago this would be a great emergency thing to do if you had to call the police or rescue squad as you could tell them its the trailer with the running lights on...

Then you tell your friends this is an emergency alert light for the Police and Rescue squad folks to find your trailer in the dark....

[LongIslandCamper]

I plugged a 10 amp fuse into the trailer line yesterday afternoon at the CG and theighys came on. I got home and parked about 7:30 last night and put the fuse back in when I got unhitched. Looks great to me. Can't wait till next weekend to try it at the next CG!

[RoyBraddy]

another lightning bug born....

We light up pretty good at camp sites. Have a greeting lamp post on, rope lights under the awning which doesnt draw bugs, and usually have two clamp-on desk light pointing up into the trees off to the side of picnic table area. The idea here is to keep the REAL BIG bugs over there and not around our outside chairs. The low leaves of the trees looks good lit up too..

Then I can find my way back to the trailer when I go to the bath room.

[LouRobin]

Ok, I have very limited Electrical ability, I see the connector picture at the beginning of this thread, and see where it say jump the two using flat blades with a fuse. Is this jump something I can buy, or have to build?
Anyone have a picture of this.
Sorry guys, just a bit electrically challenged.

[RoyBraddy]

goto RVGLOW.com

They have an adapter plug that will plug into your 7-way trailer connector and shorts out the proper two blade sockets to turn on all your trailer running lights. this will run down down your trailer battery if left on too long if you are not connected to shore power

TRAILER CABLE CONNECTOR BEFORE


TRAILER CABLE CONNECTOR AFTER


Or you can just do this yourself with a short piece of wire or use a regular CAR FLASHER to plug into the two connectors and the trailer running lights will flash... Your camping neighbors will just love you to death doing this...



Not really TOO TECHNICAL... Notice the raised FLAT area on the plug just above the pins 3 and 4. This is the key to look for to identify where the pins 3 and 4 are located.

Photos from Google Images

[Gibby3275]

Do you bend the 10 amp fuse to get it in?

[drfife]

Originally Posted by Gibby3275

Do you bend the 10 amp fuse to get it in?

No need to bend the fuse, it will fit right in and the radius will be enough grip to hold it.

[Jagiven]

Here are a few pictures of my setup. I use a 15 amp fuse. Reason why; the wires are not rated for 10 amp. The flasher is a heavy duty one from NAPA, I think it was model # 552 cost me $4. Fyi, if you use a light duty flasher the lights flash faster (what a tung twister).

There are no modifications to anything. How I remember where to plug it in. There is a bump out on the plug for aligning the plug into the felmale socket, I just jumper across those to terminals.

[RoyBraddy]

yup

[Boss Wagon]

Originally Posted by hammer

all you need is a 10 amp flat blade automotive fuse to jump #3 and #4 as shown in above post. They fit perfectly i have been doing this for years and no you won't burn your trailer down.

Thanks, Hammer. I have wanted to be able to have my lights on at camp, prior to turning in of course. I was actually thinking about putting another connector, with just the lug for the lights wired to the battery. Then you made it simple. I went outside, put in the fuse, turned the battery disconnect switch "On" and then there was light!

[chris.nelson12]

On my 2011 eagle TT 32RLDS I pulled a speaker in the rear and found where Jayco ran the taillight wires from front to rear, I ran a wire to a switch and mounted it by other wall switches on cabinet end. It works Greg and I upgraded all my exterior lights to LED and it looks awesome at night!!!

[Dwilcox353]

I love this forum!
Wife and I have never seen this while camping. Too simple to think of. Had to try it out. Grabbed a fuse, plugged it in, and there was light. Grabbed the wife and she liked it (Spousal approval is a must with mods to HER trailer), then I told her about the flasher. She liked that idea to. Then I said "So next spring when we go camping with your folks, what do you think of stopping by their trailer, stick your head in and say "Why are your markers flashing?"" She loved that idea.
10 AMP fuse - $.20
Heavy Duty Flasher - $4.00
Freaking out your in-laws - Priceless

[tnchuck100]

I don't leave "party lites" on all night. I will usually turn them off around 11 PM. I know many leave them on all night. Not a big deal. However....I cannot stand it when a close by neighbor has a 5er and leave those bright white moon lights on the sides where the bedroom is. When it happens it takes all the restraint I can muster to keep from turning them off with my pellet gun.

[elstonian]

We have a gadget for our camper called RV Glow, I bought it on ebay for $20 it plugs into the 7 way plug and turns on all the outside lights on the camper its awsome to be able to find the camper in the night since our seasonal spot is pretty dark....



2006 GMC Sierra 2500 (gas)
2011 Jayco 23j

[chipper]

I ran a string of rope lights under the trailer. It gives out a lite glow of indirect lighting, just enough to see where you are walking around in the dark.

[nevercominhome]

Originally Posted by Dwilcox353

I love this forum!

10 AMP fuse - $.20
Heavy Duty Flasher - $4.00
Freaking out your in-laws - Priceless

+1

Originally Posted by chipper

I ran a string of rope lights under the trailer. It gives out a lite glow of indirect lighting, just enough to see where you are walking around in the dark.

Chipper, did you run the entire trailer, one side, or just a section? I like the sound of your idea.

[MrKong]

The worst offenders are the people that run the 6 or 7 inch round lights. Last year I had a person across the road had one installed on the back of the TT and ran it all night long.

But, small lights are great, they attract the bugs away from me to another spot.

[mcfarmall]

I think some strips of LED's or neons would be cool tucked up under the frame of the trailer. Only problem with that is it would light up all the junk I store under there like firewood, my tote tank, shoes.....

[krackeer]

Originally Posted by mcfarmall

I think some strips of LED's or neons would be cool tucked up under the frame of the trailer. Only problem with that is it would light up all the junk I store under there like firewood, my tote tank, shoes.....

That was my plan at one time. Problem is figuring out how to get them to stay in place. a friend did purchase a 15 foot led light strip that is waterproof from amazon. he applied it on the awning where most people hang their lights. It had self adhesive, but he then went over it with some clear plastic tape. it rolls up with the awning and hasn't caused any issues in the 2 years he has had them there. It came with a remote that allows him different color combos as well. i plan on getting a set in the spring. they cost about 30 bucks.

[ram2009]

I bought a 40ft length of rope light for our ez up canopy, when not used for that I drape on the ground from the hitch under the trailer by the wheels to the back of the unit. This way the lights glow from the ground up.